It’s great that we’re getting this game with some much-needed touchups, but all you have to do to see the problem is look to the Switch’s predecessor: the Wii U. While a devastating commercial failure that left many wondering about Nintendo’s future as a hardware manufacturer, the Wii U received unprecedented support when it came to retro games. At least five generations of console games could be purchased digitally on its eShop, dating all the way back to the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Specifically, The Legend of Zelda franchise has an embarrassingly strong presence on the Wii U that you just can’t compare to the Switch’s library. On Switch, you can play six Zelda games including the spinoff title Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Skyward Sword HD will bring that number up to seven. The Wii U has a whopping 11 Zelda titles, many of which are simply impossible to get on the Switch.
Games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD are considered some of the best video games ever made, and Switch owners just have to be comfortable with not playing them. This is especially damning when you consider just how many people are beginning their gaming journey on the Nintendo Switch.
It only makes sense that a lot of people, many of them younger, are going to pick up this remaster of Skyward Sword when it comes out. And many of them will probably love it, beat it, and seek out other titles in the franchise. They’ll have The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at their disposal, along with the remake of Link’s Awakening. Outside of that, they’ll have to subscribe to Nintendo Switch online to play three additional Zelda games from 30+ years ago.
It’s a real problem that Nintendo doesn’t seem at all concerned with rectifying. All you have to do is look to last year’s ridiculous release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection of three classic, 3D Mario games, to see what I’m talking about.
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